{"id":373,"date":"2016-11-17T04:29:02","date_gmt":"2016-11-17T04:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=373"},"modified":"2017-03-05T05:01:46","modified_gmt":"2017-03-05T05:01:46","slug":"stop-hiding-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/11\/stop-hiding-light.html","title":{"rendered":"Stop Hiding Your Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lantern<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all the house.\u201d Matthew 5:15<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Every person has a light. Your light is that thing about you that makes you different from other people.\u00a0 The key to success in life is to figure out what your light is and then to capitalize on it.<\/p>\n

Most of us are reluctant to draw attention to what makes us different. For instance, many of us try to imitate the world\u2019s view of beauty.\u00a0 As a result, we downplay what makes our appearance different from the standard.\u00a0 Or we pursue careers that the world looks highly upon, even if those careers don\u2019t suit our personalities.<\/p>\n

In a world in which there is a great deal of pressure to conform, the ironic truth is that the only way to be highly successful is to capitalize on what makes you different. Oprah is a perfect example of this.\u00a0 There was no media personality before her who was anything like her.\u00a0 She had a unique personality and appearance, and she used these attributes to become an enormous success.\u00a0 What made her different is what made her amazing.<\/p>\n

It is critical to identify what makes you<\/em> unique, and then figure out how to use those qualities to your advantage.\u00a0 Sadly, it has taken me many years to figure out that one simple rule.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Well, no one told me.\u00a0 In fact, the feedback I\u2019ve typically received has been that what makes me different is what makes me odd.<\/p>\n

It took me a long time to realize that the odd parts of my personality \u2013 my love of books and classical music, my sensitivity, my strong feelings of empathy for animals and the underprivileged \u2013 are also the best parts of me. The years I spent trying to \u201cfix\u201d all of that by being more modern or tougher was a waste of time.\u00a0 I am who I am.\u00a0 And what I know is that God made me this way for a reason.\u00a0 God has given you certain attributes for a certain reason too.\u00a0 His hope is that you will use those attributes to serve the world in a way that no one else can.<\/p>\n

The world loves conformity. It takes courage to say \u201cno\u201d to the world, and to say \u201cyes\u201d to God.\u00a0 It takes courage to forget about trying to be like everyone else and to instead focus on making the most of your uniqueness.\u00a0 It takes courage to stop hiding your light.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a choice about conforming or not conforming. This is a choice about whether to spend your life being average or being amazing.\u00a0 Average people look like their peers.\u00a0 They do the same types of activities as their friends.\u00a0 They pursue jobs that \u201cmake sense.\u201d\u00a0 And they are easily accepted.\u00a0 Amazing people go against the grain.\u00a0 They follow their passions.\u00a0 They march to the beat of their own drum.\u00a0 And ultimately they achieve success that average people cannot.\u00a0 And they shine.<\/p>\n

(Photo Courtesy of Pexels)<\/p>\n

Follow me at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNo one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all the house.\u201d Matthew 5:15 Every person has a light. Your light is that thing about you that makes you different from other people.\u00a0 The key to success in life is to figure out…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nStop Hiding Your Light - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/11\/stop-hiding-light.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Stop Hiding Your Light - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cNo one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all the house.\u201d Matthew 5:15 Every person has a light. 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